Achillea plant named ‘Peachy Seduction’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Achillea  plant named ‘Peachy Seduction’, characterized by its upright, columnar and mounded plant habit; strong and vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; freely flowering habit with plants remaining in flower for a long period time; inflorescences with peachy pink-colored ray florets; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Achillea millefolium.

Cultivar denomination: ‘PEACHY SEDUCTION’.

CROSS-REFERENCED TO RELATED APPLICATION

Title: Achillea Plant Named ‘Pineapple Mango’

Applicant: Wilhelmus J. J. Nijssen

Filed: Concurrently with this application

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Achillea plant, botanically known as Achillea millefolium, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Peachy Seduction’.

The new Achillea plant is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of Achillea millefolium ‘Summer Pastels’, not patented. The new Achillea plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within a population of plants of ‘Summer Pastels’ in July, 2005 in a controlled outdoor nursery environment in Stavenisse, The Netherlands. The selection of this plant was based on its unique inflorescence coloration.

Asexual reproduction of the new Achillea plant by vegetative cuttings in a controlled environment in Lancaster, Pa. since August, 2006, has shown that the unique features of this new Achillea plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Achillea have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Peachy Seduction’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Peachy Seduction’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Achillea plant:

-   -   1. Upright, columnar and mounding plant habit.     -   2. Strong and vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit.     -   4. Freely flowering habit with plants remaining in flower for a         long period time.     -   5. Inflorescences with peachy pink-colored ray florets.     -   6. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Achillea differ from plants of the parent, ‘Summer Pastels’, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Achillea are more compact than and not as         open as plants of ‘Summer Pastels’.     -   2. Plants of the new Achillea are more freely branching and have         stronger stems than plants of ‘Summer Pastels’.     -   3. Plants of the new Achillea flower more uniformly than plants         of ‘Summer Pastels’.     -   4. Ray florets of plants of the new Achillea are peachy pink in         color whereas ray florets of ‘Summer Pastels’ are medium pink in         color; additionally, ray floret color of plants of the new         Achillea does not fade as quickly as ray floret color of plants         of ‘Summer Pastels’.

Plants of the new Achillea differ primarily in ray floret coloration from plants of Achillea millefolium ‘Pineapple Mango’, disclosed in a U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 12/804,004 filed concurrently.

Plants of the new Achillea can also be compared to plants of Achillea millefolium ‘Paprika’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Lancaster, Pa., plants of the new Achillea differed from plants of ‘Paprika’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Achillea were more freely branching than         plants of ‘Paprika’.     -   2. Plants of the new Achillea had shorter internodes than plants         of ‘Paprika’.     -   3. Ray floret color of plants of the new Achillea did not fade         as quickly as ray floret color of plants of ‘Paprika’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Achillea plant. These photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Achillea plant.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Peachy Seduction’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a close-up view of typical inflorescences of ‘Peachy Seduction’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants used for the aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in 20-cm containers in an outdoor nursery in Lancaster, Pa. during the spring and summer and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial Achillea production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 18° C. to 29° C. and night temperatures ranged from 13° C. to 21° C. Plants were pinched one time about 12 weeks after planting. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical nine-month old flowering plants. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Achillea millefolium ‘Peachy Seduction’. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation Achillea     millefolium ‘Summer Pastels’, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About five days at 22° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About seven days at 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting, summer.—About 21 days at             24° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting, winter.—About 25 days at             22° C.         -   Root description.—Thick, fleshy; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form/growth habit.—Upright, columnar and mounding             plant habit; strong and sturdy plants; vigorous growth             habit.         -   Plant height.—About 44 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 47 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Quantity per plant: Freely branching habit             with about 20 lateral branches developing per plant;             pinching enhances lateral branch development. Length: About             45 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm. Internode length: About 3.5 cm.             Aspect: Mostly upright. Strength: Strong, sturdy. Texture:             Tomentose. Color: Close to 146C. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple; sessile.         -   Length.—About 10.5 cm.         -   Width.—About 2 cm.         -   Shape.—Lanceolate; pinnatifid.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Truncate.         -   Margin.—Very finely dissected giving a fern-like feathery             appearance.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 144A.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 144B. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 147A; venation,             close to 147C. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close             to 147B; venation, close to 147C. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Flowering arrangement and habit.—Rotate composite             inflorescence form; inflorescences arranged in terminal or             axillary compound cymes; cymes somewhat flat-topped; freely             flowering habit with about 900 inflorescences developing per             lateral branch; inflorescences positioned above the foliar             plane and face upright to slightly outwardly.         -   Fragrance.—Moderate; grassy.         -   Time to flower.—Long flowering period, under natural season             conditions, plants flower throughout the summer; plants that             are cut back will reflower.         -   Post-production longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good             substance for about five to seven days on the plant;             inflorescences persistent.         -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 5 mm. Diameter: About             2.5 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Color: Close to 37C.         -   Cyme size.—Diameter: About 6 cm by 7 cm. Height: About 6.5             cm.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 1 cm. Depth (height):             About 8 mm. Disc diameter: About 3 mm. Receptacle diameter:             About 3 mm. Receptacle height: About 4 mm. Receptacle shape:             Ovoid. Receptacle color: Close to 146C.         -   Ray florets.—Shape: Rounded obovate. Apex: Emarginate. Base:             Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Length: About 4 mm. Width: About             4 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous.             Number of ray florets per inflorescence: Five in a single             whorl. Color: When opening and fully opened, upper surface:             Close to 37B to 37C; color becoming closer to 29C with             development. When opening and fully opened, lower surface:             Close to 38D; color becoming closer to 29D with development.         -   Disc florets.—Arrangement: Massed in the center of the             receptacle. Shape: Tubular; apex, five-pointed. Length:             About 5 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Number of disc florets per             inflorescence: About 24. Color, immature: Apex and             mid-section: Close to 4C. Base: Close to 145D. Color,             mature: Apex and mid-section: Close to 18B. Base: Close to             145D.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 24 in about             four whorls; imbricate. Shape: Lanceolate to narrowly             elliptical. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate. Margin: Entire.             Length: About 3 mm. Width: About 1.5 mm. Texture, upper             surface: Smooth; glabrous. Texture, lower surface:             Pubescent. Color, upper surface: Close to 145B. Color, lower             surface: Close to 146C to 146D.         -   Peduncles.—Length, terminal peduncle: About 1 cm. Length,             fourth peduncle: About 4 cm. Length, seventh peduncle: About             11.7 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Strength: Strong. Aspect:             Mostly upright; axillary peduncles, about 45° from vertical.             Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 148B.         -   Reproductive organs (present on disc florets             only).—Androecium: Quantity of stamens per disc floret:             About five. Filament length: About 2 mm. Filament color:             Close to 157D. Anther shape: Rounded. Anther length: Less             than 1 mm. Anther color: Close to 7D. Pollen amount: Scarce.             Pollen color: Close to 7C. Gynoecium: Quantity of pistils             per disc floret: One. Pistil length: About 4 mm. Stigma             shape: Bi-parted. Stigma color: Close to 8D. Style length:             About 2.5 mm. Style color: Close to 145D. Ovary color: Close             to 157D.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Achillea have not been     shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Achillea. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Achillea have been observed to     have good garden performance and tolerate wind, rain and to be hardy     to USDA Hardiness Zone 5. 

1. A new and distinct Achillea plant named ‘Peachy Seduction’ as illustrated and described. 